Thread: CAI in Dec?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nick @ May 29 2009, 11:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Argh I wish I was in Nth America and in the position to do weekend trips to Egypt!!![/b]

Actually, I&#39;ll be in Spain, not North America, so my real limitation is the fact that I have no non-rev abilities whatsoever, (not current) interline or otherwise

Heh, I almost wonder how the ZED system works in the background... I have access to the sites still, if only I could try booking

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mrs767er @ May 30 2009, 03:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

we&#39;ll do the Luxor/Aswan cruise later. We like to make the short trips on days off and save the vacation wks for longer stuff like Asia etc. I will be happy for the Luxor guide referral, tho. I could sepnd days at Luxor temple and VOK.
My husband is Padi cert so Alexandria could be a sep trip, too. I liked your take on their corniche and the Qaddoura is making my taste buds jump for joy--that sounds sooo good![/b]

EDIT - here are some of my Alexandria pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7849...mp;l=62abb131d8

The guides name is Mina Botros - www.englishtour.co.cc / minabotrosguide@yahoo.com and he speaks quite good English.

I wouldn&#39;t book direct though, I booked him through ourexplorer: http://www.ourexplorer.com/tour-guid...ares-1740.aspx

You pay a few dollars on your credit card to the website to secure, then pay rest in cash when you meet him. Much safer this way, as if a guide no shows or is dodgy you can rate them and people can steer clear of them. If he no shows, the small amount you paid goes to charity.

He has jacked his rates to around USD$27/person/day (he was far too cheap before), but this guy will meet you at the train at 5am and not leave you till 7pm -with an air conditioned cab and driver included in the price. He organised a hot air balloon for us for around USD$56, but being Egyptian National Railways our train was quite late so we missed it. But seeing as we weren&#39;t going to pay for it until upfront, there was no cancel fee or anything.

He took us to all the temples, an alabaster factory (great to see how they make it), went on a felucca along the Nile (extra - and advised us how much to pay and not to pay more than x etc), lunch on the Nile (extra but cheap), to a museum or two, cafe for shisha - all over the place.

One thing i&#39;ve learned lately is there is nothing like a local guide (even if just for the 1st day), and nothing like a bicycle tour to help you get to know a city... except a Nth American city... don&#39;t wanna be riding no bikes there.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (spongebue @ May 30 2009, 03:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Actually, I&#39;ll be in Spain, not North America, so my real limitation is the fact that I have no non-rev abilities whatsoever, (not current) interline or otherwise

Heh, I almost wonder how the ZED system works in the background... I have access to the sites still, if only I could try booking [/b]

If you made it back to London cheapest way in (but hassle +) would be Easyjet to SSH or HGH then a lengthy bus convoy to Cairo. BA were charging rev pax a MINT to get there from LHR, something around 600 pounds one way!!!

Don&#39;t know what rate Iberia are flogging to CAI from MAD though...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumper @ May 30 2009, 02:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

http://www.hostelbookers.com/property/inde...stination=Cairo[/b]

Wow that is a good deal!!

And it has more positive reviews than the 5 star place I stayed in in the middle of nowhere!

I&#39;ve really gotta give hostels a chance...

I&#39;d love to go backpacking but need a wingman/woman haha

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nick @ May 29 2009, 10:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

If you made it back to London cheapest way in (but hassle +) would be Easyjet to SSH or HGH then a lengthy bus convoy to Cairo. BA were charging rev pax a MINT to get there from LHR, something around 600 pounds one way!!!

Don&#39;t know what rate Iberia are flogging to CAI from MAD though...[/b]

I&#39;ll be in SVQ, but MAD wouldn&#39;t be too awful to get to. $700-something RT with 2 connections from SVQ for a December weekend, $500 nonstop from MAD. Might go down a bit when it&#39;s not over 6 months away, though...

Cairo is fine, even for a single woman.
I never once felt unsafe there, even walking around late into the night, by myself.
I stayed at the Sara Inn Hostel and highly recommend it. It was near the museum.

I have said before that hostels are not for everyone but I love them. You get to meet some great people there.
I could have had a hotel with an airline discount in Cairo for about $100 but I had my hostel for $8.
For me, a bed is a bed. I am there to see the city anyway and not sit in the room.
I have stayed in a hostel about 10 times and never did get bed bugs, nor did I experience any other issues.

I&#39;m like that - I want a bed, a place to store my rollybag (I&#39;f I&#39;m there for more than a day) and a place to shower.

A lot of hostels (like that one) DO have private rooms if you pay a bit extra which I&#39;m fine with...

y&#39;all still planning on going, Jumper?

I am - just not sure *When* - Maybe next november, but I do tent o get hung up on my UK trips home...